Manufacture and attachment of buttons



May 9., 1944- w. I .lwALKER f '2,348,441

v NANUFACTURE AND ATTACHMENT oF BuTToNs l Filed May 19,1942

Patented May 9, 1944 UNITED STATES Aarri;NT orifice MANUFACTURE Oli' Y U'r'roNs` "William L. Walker, Detro'itflvlich., assignor to Universal Button vFastening and Button Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation f Michigan Application May 19, 1942, Serial No. 443,667

1o claims. (o1. i991),

This invention relates to the manufacture and attachment of buttons and similar fastening means, and among other objects aims to provide Van improved and simplified method and means for forming and attaching Vbuttons or the like with the design or insignia on the button top in upright or predetermined position.

The nature of the invention may be readily understood by reference to one illustrative embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view, diagrammatic in character, showing the method and means for assembling a button; Y

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the plane 2'2 of Fig. 1;

Fig` 3 is a bottom plan view of a button on its discharge from the assembly mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of orienting mechanism for orienting the design on the button with respect to the garment to which it is to be attached;

Fig. 5'is a longitudinal section, on the plane 5`5 of Fig. 4, of the aforesaid mechanism showing the element which arrests rotation of the button;

. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation ofthe button The invention is here illustrated in connection` withthe attachment off-a button by a double prong fastener III. It islvnot necessary hereto detail the advantages arising from the use of a. double pronged` attaching fastener,A but 'such use involves additional problems of 'attachment (not involved in the use of aisingleprongufastener) since .both fastener and.` button-must-be Vrelatively oriented. x Thefillustrativebutton II is a so-called open topbuttori, by which 'isn-ieant a button having; a central opening'lzlinitstop which permits; the entry into" the liriterior'oithe button of the-attaching; die I3 whose concave extremity I4 functions to upset or curl the fastener prongs. `In closed top buttons it is the practice to incorporate in the interior of the button a die which has the function of upsetting the "fastener prongs. The button comprises -a top orn shell I'5 generally made of thin sheet metal' Whose margins `Iii are bent or 4crimped around the margins of the collet `or shank of the button. The button top carries some decorative' design or insignia I3 which may comprise the trade-marker the manufacturer of the garment to which thebutton is attached. The collet also is generally of sheet metal.

To attach the button in registered or oriented position, it is necessary to provide means, which advantageously are incorporated in the attaching apparatus 'for axially rotating the button until its design Yor insignia I8 occupies a predetermined position. Attachment with a' double pronged fastener `or other fastener whichis not symmetrical in all Yaxial positions has additionally required that the collet of the button be registered or oriented relative to the design on the shell prior to completion of assembly so as to occupy the proper position. relative to the fastener prongs in the attaching apparatus.

According to the illustrative method, the necessity for orienting the colletis eliminated and assembly of the button is thereby substantially simplified. As here shown the shells I5 are provided with a deformation in this case comprising a projecting' lip I9 formed' in the margin i6 of thegshell. `This deformation is formed simultaneously and generally by the same dies which emboss the design I8 in the shell and therefore occupies a predetermined position relative to the design. Such deformation provides the means by which the design on the shell may be located in a predetermined .position in the assembly mechanism.` In th'e present instance, the` shells aredeposited froma slide or chute 20 into openings 2I in the assembly mechanism here repre sented by Va rotating dial 22. are of a size to receive and center theshells and are provided. with a correspondingly shaped recess 23 for the'lip t9 of the shell to hold the shell against angular displacement. In `this case the shells are' deposited upside down, that iS, with the inside of "the "shell uppermost` in the openings 2|, each shell having previously'been oriented so that the lipL I 9 registers, with the recess23'o`f the opening: The dial r2`2lis"period ically` rotated l by angjamount representing the angular distance Vbetween Asuccessive 'openings 21| in the direction indicated by the arrow 24 The openings 2I` bringing the openings successively to the station at which the collets Il are deposited upside down inside the shell.l Such collets may advanaround the margin of the colletl and at the same time to obliterate or eliminate the lip of the deformation i9 in the shell. In Ythe present instance dies 2l and 28 are vertically reciprocable and register with the successive openings 2l at the station 29. The stationary p1ate'30 von whichV the dial rotates and Whichjfunctions to prevent the buttons from dropping through'the openings 2| is provided with' an opening 3| through which lower die 28 may pass to raise the button from the dial for the closing operation. At so-meA stage in said closingoperation the collet is pierced with an eccentric or non-circular opening32 for receiving one of the fastener prongs. In the present case such opening is generally of semi-circular shape and is formed byV piercing die Y33 which penetrates the bottom 34 of the collet as the later is coniined inside upper die 2l. Y

The successive openings 2l register with a discharge opening 36 in the plate 3l] through which the completed buttonfalls.

In the completed button the eccentric or non-circular opening 32 in the collet has a predetermined location relative to the design or insignia I8 on the button top and is utilized to orient the design properlyin the attaching machine. The opening 32 may be either eccentric or of such non-circular shape as to serve as a key in locating theA design on the button top in predetermined position. For attachment with a double prong fastener the opening is. both eccentric and non-circular. The attaching machine incorporatesnmeans for axially rotating the button and means for orienting the button in proper position by entering .the opening 32 and arnesting further rotation. Attaching means of this character are illustrated in YClark Patent No. 1,798,970 and inv the :co-pending Hansen and BowenapplicatiomSerial No. 299,586, Patent No. 2,292,223, issued August 4, 1942. Each of such machines embodies van orienting fork for entering the opening in the collet'of the button when the latter has been rotated to a predetermined position to arrest further rotation. In the presentcase, the collet is pierced Vwith only oneopening and the fork is correspondingly formed with only a single prong of proper eccentricity or in thisk case of generally semicircularV section so located as toV enter the opening32 in thecollet when V the button has been rotated to its proper position.v An orienting forl: 'of .this character together with the orienting mechanism o-f said Hansen and Bowen application is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. The details vof the orienting mechanism are fully described in said Hansen .and Bowen application,

anditwill, therefore, here be suicient to point,

out that the orienting fork 31 is provided with an extremity 38 of generally semi-circular section of vsuch shape asA to enter the opening 32 when rotation of the button in the'orientingmechanismcarries l the opening 32 Itherein into registry with the fork. Inv that position the spring 39 rotates the fork about its pivot 40 and causes'the extremity 38 to enter the opening and arrest further rotation of the button. In such oriented position the button is moved to attaching position as described in said Hansen and Bowen application.

The attaching mechanism is illustrated only generally in Figs. 6 and '7. Unnecessary details have been omitted to simplify and clarify the illustration. Details of similar attaching mechanisms are illustrated in said Clark patent and in said Hansen and Bowen application. The attaching machine functions also to locate a fastener I il in attaching position with the fastener prongs lll and 42 located in predetermined position. At the beginning of the attaching operationthe lower die G3 on which the fastener Vrests raises the same and causes its prongs to pierce the fabric 44 to which the button is to be attached. Simultaneously the attaching mechaintervening bar 45 of the collet. In this connection it should be noted that the margins of the opening 32 as well as those ofthe opening 46 pierced by the fastener prong are bent or curled inwardly and serve to stilen the bottom of the collet and particularly the intervening bar 45. The fastener prongs are sufficiently sturdy so as to be capable of piercing the metal of the collet. Preferably the prongs are tapened for increased strength and rigidity.`

After attachment the attaching dies recede, thereby freeing the garment with its attached buttons.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the inventive method simplies assembly of the button `and eliminates the necessity for special orienting stops or projections on the button heretofore necessary for orienting the button in attaching position, utilizing simply a non-circular or eccentric opening in the collet which subsequently serves to receive a fastener prong. When attached in upright position by a double prong fastener, subsequent` rotation of the button out of upright position is imposible.

Obvously the invention is not limited to the details of the illustrated method and apparatus since these may be variously modified. Moreover it is not undesirable that all features of the invention be used conjointly in different combinations and sub-combinations.

Having describedmy invention I claim:

1. The method of orienting buttons and actaching them by a double pronged fastener which comprises providing a button with a single eccentric opening in the button collet in predetermined relation to a surface of the button, then by means of said opening orienting the button with respect to the double prongs of a fastener.

trically located, and having a, predetermined position relative to said design, orienting the button by means of said opening, and then attaching the button by means of a double pronged fastener, one fastener prong passing through said opening and the other piercing the collet.

3. The method of orienting buttons and attaching them wtih a design in the button located in predetermined position which comprises providing a button top carrying the design and an attached collet having an opening so that the opening occupies a predetermined position in relation to the design, orienting the button by means of said opening, and attaching the same by a double pronged fastener with one prong passing through said opening and the other piercing the collet adjacent thereto, and curling the fastener prongs about the portion of the collet between the prongs.

4., A button of the character described comprising in combination a button top having a design thereon, and an attached button collet having in its base an eccentric single non-circular fastener prong receiving opening having a predetermined position relative to said design so that, in attaching the button, the opening is used as an orienting medium. Y

5. A button of the character described comprising in combination a button top having a design thereon, and an attached button collet having in its base an eccentric single fastener prong receiving opening which is asymmetrical relative to said design and adapted for use in orienting the button for attachment.

6. A button of the character described comprising in combination a button top having a design thereon, and an attached button collet having in its base a single eccentric non-circular fastener prong receiving opening having a pre determined position relative to said design for use in orienting the button for attachment.

'7. Button apparatus comprising in combination a button holder having a circular recess for holding a button of circular section, piercing mechanism including a single piercing tool located eccentrically with said recess and adapted to form a'single fastener receiving hole through the under part of the button and means for locating a button with a design on its top in said recess with the design in a predetermined relation relative to said piercing tool, said piercing tool operating to form an eccentric fastener receiving hole in the button in a predetermined position relative to the design on the top, whereby the said hole may be employed to orient the design on the button for attachment of the button to a garment or the like.

8. Button apparatus for buttons having a design on their tops comprising in combination means for holding a button top with the design thereon located in a predetermined position in the holding means, means for placing a collet in the top While the latter is in the holding means, and piercing mechanism including a single piercing tool located in a predetermined position with respect to the design on the button top in the holding means, said tool being adapted to form a single hole in the said collet in a predetermined. position with respect to the design on the button top.

9. Button apparatus for buttons having a design on their tops comprising in combination means for holding a button top with the design thereon located in a predetermined position in Ithe holding means, means for placing a collet in the top while the latter is in the holding means and piercing mechanism including a single piercing tool of non-circular section located in a predetermined position With respect to the design on the button top in the holding means, said tool being adapted to form a single non-circular hole in the said collet in a predetermined position with respect to the design on the button top.

10. The method of orienting buttons and attaching them by a double pronged fastener which comprises providing a button including a collet and a top with a design on said top and a single eccentric opening in the collet in predetermined relation with the design on the top, then by means of said opening orienting the button with respect to the double prongs of a fastener, then causing the prongs of the fastener to enter the button, one passing through said opening and the other piercing the collet, and then upsetting the prongs inside the collet.

WILLIAM L. WALKER. 

